Oh the tools and tech MLB pitching coaches and players have. If only Little Leaguers and Travel Ball kids had them too. Sigh!
Introducing HeyBLU “Command Training”—turn your bullpen sessions into target practice and measure your results, just like the Big Leaguers.
To run Command Training, you just need a simple two-device setup. Your primary iPhone sits on a tripod tracking the pitches and providing audio calls , while you hold a secondary device—ideally another iPhone or an iPad.
In our “Calibrate” mode, you’ll find the new “Command” feature. Here is exactly how it works out on the dirt:
Call Your Spots: Tell your student-pitcher what you want them to throw (fastball, curve, etc.) and where.
Lock It In: On your iPad (or secondary phone), you can now select the pitch type and tap exactly which of the 17 zones you want the pitcher to hit before they throw. You can even widen or raise the strike zone directly from the iPad in your hands, without walking back to the tripod.
Throw: The tripod phone will automatically grade the pitch. We use strict “edge grading” (if any part of the baseball touches the zone, it counts as a hit).
Instant Audio Feedback: If the pitcher nicks the target zone, they get an instant audio reward (”Strike... Nice!”). If they miss the location, silence. Or, if it’s outside the target but still in the zone, you’ll just hear “Strike.
The Command Training interface: Select pitch type + location. Instant feedback and full session reports and analysis. ”
Right now, you can see the visual result of every pitch immediately on your handheld device. The app also displays and counts every tracked pitch with its MPH, even if it was a wild pitch that couldn’t get a full strike/ball call.
All of this data is already being saved under the hood. While the reporting feature isn’t quite live yet, our plan is to generate shareable reports. Soon, you will be able to show pitchers, their parents, and head coaches exactly how their command is progressing over time.
We are looking for active youth pitching coaches to join our beta program and test the app for free. HeyBLU is built specifically for outdoor bullpens, backyards, and anywhere you can place a tripod and drop in the HeyBLU strike zone.
We want you to test the Command Training feature heavily. Here is what we need to know:
Do the hits and misses feel fair with our strict edge grading?
How does the audio timing feel during a live bullpen session?
What other features or data points would make your life as a coach easier?
Want to try it? The Beta is open. To get involved:
Web: heyblu.ai Join link
Email: support@heyblu.ai
Comment: Drop your thoughts below on this Substack post
Let’s play ball.
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